Automobile direction-indicator.



R. R. NlcDONNELL. 5 AUTOMOB|LE-DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPucATxoN' FILED Aums, 191s.

1,299g9-76. PatentedvAp. 8,1919.

caters, of which the following is a specification.

' En STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

. BALPH RAYMOND MQDONNELL, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Y'

Ai .irfro'MOBILE DIRECTION-inumana.

accelera.

To all whmn, it may concern: A Y

Beit known that I, RALPH RAYMOND Mc- MNNELL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobile Directionludi- This invention relates to devices {for indi-` ca the direction of travel of automobiles or o er vehicles, so that those behind will howwhich Vway the automobile or vehicle is going to turn, or whether it is goin to sto or continue travel' straight ahea 4 enerally stated, the o ject of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby a single element, refer-.-

ably in the form ofa hollow body having the general shapeof an arrow, is lsulicient not only to indicate-the direction of travel, as well as stoppage of the vehicle, but also to illuminate the number or license plate of the automobile, whereby the device will also serve as a tail-light for the vehicle.

It, is also an object to provide certain de tails and features of constructiony .and come binations tendin to increase the general eilicienc and desirability of a direction indicator o this particular character.-

'lo these and other useful ends the invenH tion'consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings* Figure 1 is a dia cation of the invention to an automobile. Fig; 2 is a rear elevation of a direction indicator embodyin the principles of the injvention, showing t e license or number plate in position below the hollow body which constitutes the indicator. s

Fig. 3 is an enlai' ed transverse verticall section on line 3-3 in Fig. 4.

'.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure shown in 2, with a portion thereof broken away or and to show the interior construction of the hollow body which contains the electriclamp.

A: As thus illustrated, the indicator comv a Hat bottom 2 an fiat si es 3,'so that the body is squareor rectangular in cross section. Furthermore, it will be seen that these Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

gram showing ythe appli'- convenience of illustration,

ra fiat top 1 and .l

topl and bottom and side walls taper gradually toward the front end of the body so that lthe body itself tapers forward, an is smaller in cross section'near its front end than near its rear end. The sides 3 and o Patented Apes, 1919. Appution sied August 5, 191s. serial no. 2413.299.

arrow-shaped plates 4 of red glas, or other red translucent material, and the top 1 has a plate 5 of red glass or'similar material,

this plateV 5 being also preferably sha ed` like an arrow, and arranged to Point orward. Thebottom 2 of the bodyis provided withfa clear or white glass plate 6 to throw a white light downward and thereby illuminate the license Yor number plate 7 A which is supported inany suitable lor de` sired manner below. The rear end of the body is provided with a square or rectangu lar red Aglass plate 8 which serves asthe tail-A light proper. An electric lamp 9, or any other suitable means, is'inclosedf in the body to illuminate4 the interior thereof and cause 'the arrows to show red at=.night,. and to throw a whitelight downward against the licenseor number plate.

The support' means maybe of any suit- -turnor rotate in the bearn 12 secured to the rear end. of the antonio 'ile. A spring 13 is applied to the pivot 10, so that the-hollow body is yieldingly held in horizontal position. A cord or wire 14 is arran ed in any suitable manner -and connec to a bracket 15 on the bottom of the body, yso that* a forward pull on'this cord or. wire will tilt the body about the horizontal and transverse axis provided by the pivot 10, causing the rear end of the body to tilt downwardand its front end upward, thereby to'bring the red' l gla late 5 into view, so that-those'traveling be -nd will know that the driver of the automobile or vehicle isintending to stop.- Preferably, thecordor wire 14 extends -fo1 ward to the usual or ordinary brake pedal 16 of the automobile,- so thatltheindicator is automatically operated and caused to tilt about its horizontal axis when the brakes of the automobile are applied in the usual manner. Any suitable means'can .beemployed for turning` the rod or standard 11 to rotate 'the indicator about its vertical axis, to indim cate that the driver ofthe automobile is in' tending,r to turn `to the rightor the left. For example, a pulley 17 ma'y be secured to the lower-'end of the rodll, and' a wire 18 can.

` .With the foregoing construction, it will be seen that when the hollowr body, which constitutes the indicator, is pointingstraight 1.5 vahead, the redglass arrows 1 1- will 'not 'be 'visibleto those behinthinasmuch as the two sides of the body'convergetoward the forward end of the body, so that ga person trav'- cling directly behind, or even a little to 270 either side of the line of travel of the 'automobile will noty see either of the two redv arrows.v Should the drirer of the automobile decide to turn to'th'e iight, the device.V

19 vwill then be 'operated to turn the hollow bringing into view the right hand red arrow t; and vvice versa, rotation of the hollow body in` the opposite direction will bringinto view the other red arrow,1and thus in dicatethe intention of the driver to turn toy the left. lShouldrthe driver .decide to stop,

the application of the bakes will automatically tiltthe indicato yabout 'its pivot :'10, as previously' explained,4 so vthat the' red arrow 5 .will become visible'tothose behind, and will point directly upward, ,thus indi'.- cating the stoppage lof the automobile. Thus, 'there 'is always a'" red light which serves as a tail-light; foi-,"while the glass i0 platev8 'serves normally-as thel tail-light, it is' also true that lwhen the indicator is turned in either direction, either one or the other of the two red arrows will then serveas a tail-light, in addition toits f notion of indimobile. The same electric v'lamp serves also to illuminate -thelicense or 'number plate, and the latter can be supported in any suitable 4or desired manner, directly below the indicator, so that the opening at the bottom of .the hollow body will throw the light downward uponl the face of the 'num-ber plate. As a matter of further and special improvement, the `wire 18 can lbe merely a singl'e' wire,'so that a pull on this wire will turn the indicator in one direction only; and for the purposeof turning the indicator ,in the .opposite direction, a spring 20 canI be apfA plied tothe rod- 11 `and fastened at its upper end to the rod and at its lower-end to the bearing 12, so that when the normal pull or tension on the wire 18 is relaxed, this spring as shown, can be located on-the dash f the bef-seen, yieldingly holds the ro bodypso'tliat it will point to the right, thus eating thedirection of travel of the auto-Y in either case; and while the indicator shown will then turn the indicator-'in adirection opposite to'that in which itis turned 'by the 155 pull onthe wire. When this arrangement.

, is employedit willbe understood thatv one end of the wire 18 is'fastened to a point on the circumference di *the pulley 17, andthat the' otherend is fastened tothe device 19, in;`V 70 anysuitable manne-r, so that when this de-i vice is operated in one direction, :a pull wil be exerted ony the' wire 18 to turnl the direc e tion indicator to the right, for-example, -ain'd'f` when the device 19. is operated a: mannerf' to release the ,wire 18, the spring 20 will then' j immediately turn tlhe indicator around so. that it/ will'l point to ithe' left; but thewire :18 I can be used toturn the` direction .indica-f` tor in either direction,l andthe spring/can '80 be arranged accordingly, .depending upon.l which arrangement will best serve the pur-- pose. Furthermore, this'sprin -2(`r,it will@ llfx'gainst. downward movement, and is thus, ,;adapted 85 to form a cushion. to ysupport the indicator, l so that; vthe latter practically 'rides enla spring which absorbs the jolts .andw'ibra 'tions while the automobile is traveling along the street.- In addition, this rod 1.1 can bez-,90 made ghollow to contain the cordsor other.k electrical conductors which extend f to the lamp in the indicator.

As shown,'the hollowbody forming the indicator isficomposed of a light'metal frame 95 in lwhich th glass' plates are secured-in yany suitable `or desired manner, so that with the exception of this skeleton frame, the entire. bodyis of glass. ,Obviously, beweren the ent-ire body, using thesame designand general appearance, can be formed of glass.

icc

'blown intothe propersha e, with the sides land top and rear ends red, ut w1th an lopen-k ing in the bottom to throwI a white lighten the number plate. Regardless, however,fof the .method of-constructiom one sideoflthe n body will provide-or yforni a red arrow,and the other side 4.willprovide orform another y red arrow, so that the eifect willbe'the same and described involves a red arrowy on its A top, it will be understood that any suitable means can'be employed to indicate stoppage ofthe vehicle when tliei'ndicato1-is tilted downward atits rear end.V ..115 One advantage of the arrangementshown Iand described is that-the deviceyor indicator can be turned to the right orthe. left,'and` 'before the driver reaches the crossing jor point wherethe' turn is to be madeso that-n.2 those' traveling' behlnd will have.. 'ample notice of the drivcrs intention. For this.A l

reason,l therefore.I hand .operatedvnleans5 which are `iinl'cpenlentof the steering gear. are preferably employed for this purposeu On the other hand. a .driver ijs often compelled to throw` out the clutch or put on the brakes suddenly and without warning, and henceth'e indication of stoppage is preferably automatic, as in many cases a driver would not have time to-control the signal before putting onthe'brakes. That I claim as myinvention isz-'- 1. In an automobile. direction indicator,

the combinationV of a tail light mounted for rotational movement about a vertically disposed axis to indicate the direction of travel,

l and foi-tilting movement about a horizontal A axis to indicate stoppage of the vehicle,

hand-operated means for controlling said ro-` tational movement, and foot-operated meansfor cont-rollingsaid tilting movement.

2. A structure as'specied in claim 1, said.

' the combination of al metal frame tapered forward and having the general shape of an arrow, means to support said frame at the rear end of the vehicle, means to move `the frame about a vertically disposed axis to indicate the' direction of travel, red side lights `of arrow shape for said frame to show the direction of travel at night, a red rear end light for said frame to serve as a tail llght when the frame is pointing straight ahead,

a means tojtilt the frame about atransverse axis, whereby the forward end of the frame will point upward, a. red arrow-shaped llght page at nlght when the frame points 11pward, and whereby each of said lights serves as a red tail light when facing rearward, and anelectric lamp inclosed in said frame to illuminate said lights.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3, said frame 'having a white light in the under side thereof, and a license numberplate arranged in position to 'be illuminated by said white light.

5.' In an automobile direction-jlndicator,

the .combination of a hollow bodylr having Vcombination with a license number plate arranged directly below said frame in posired arrow-shaped side lights,fmeans to. turn the body about a vertically disposed ax1s, a

red rear end light 'for said body, whereby the body will display only a red light in any A'position thereof,'a ,white light the under' sidev of said body, and a license number plate disposed in position to be illuminated -by said white light.

6. In an automobile direction indicator, a'

hollow body containing an electric lamp, means to support said body at the rear end of the'frame to indicate stopin the direction of travel, said body; having means whereby it will always display only a red light for either position thereof, the iny 1 dicator thereby serving also as a taillight in either positio i y7. A structure as specified inclaim 6,'.ili` combination with means for tilting said bodyabout a horizontal axis to indicatey stoppage, and means whereb said body will only display a rearwardly acing red light in its tilted position.

8. The combination of a device which is operable in opposite directions to indicate turning -of the vehicle tothe right or the left, ,and operable in a different direction to indicate stoppage of the vehicle, whereby one and the same device serves for both purposes', vhand operated means to control thedevice for the rst mentioned purpose,

andjfoot koperated means to control the device for the second mentioned purpose.

9. The. combination of a lamp, means whereby said lamp signals the turning of, the vehicle to the right or the left, means whereby the same lam signals the stoppage of the vehicle, whereby'one and the same lamp serves 'for both purposes, hand operated controlling means for` the first mentioncd purpose, and foot operated .controlling means for the second mentioned purpose.

10. In an automobiledirection indicator, the combination of a metal frame tapered forward and having the general shape of an arrow, means to s pport said frame at the rear end of the vl hicle, means lto move the frame about a vertically disposed Aaxis to indicate the direction of travel, red side lights vof arrow shape for said frame t-o'fsi'ow the direction of travel at night, a red rear end `light for said frame to serve as a tail light .when the frame is 'pointing straight ahead, means to tilt the frame about a transverse axis, whereby/,the forward end of the frame will point upward, alight for the top of the frame to indicate stoppage at night when the forward end of the frame points upward, and an electric lamp inclosed in said :frame to illuminate said lights.

11. 'A structure as specified in claim 3, in

tion to be'illuminated by said electriclamp.

imv

'12. A structure as specified in claim 1',

said hand operated means being separate.

the direction of travel of the vehicle is changed.

13. In an automobile direction indicator, i

the lcombination of a metal frame tapered forward and having the general shape of'an o mesme arrow, "means to slupport said rameat; the mea'n to-tlt the .frame about. a transversr'a 'vrearendof-the hole,'means to mOVe-.the axis, Whe-roby ,onev end of tho fram 'Wl l0 frame'about a, vertical'ly-ds'posed axis to im point downward, 'adightv for he jmp .of .he cheat@ the direction of travel, rod side lights frame to indicate stoppage at'm'ght Wherr of arrow shape for said frame t0 Show the one end-of the frame pomts downwardand k-d'irection of'travel at night, a; red roar and ,arl electric lamp -'nclosod in said frame to hght for said frame to serve as a tail light illuminate said hght's,V

Wholrthe frame is pointing ,straight ahead, v VRALLYE RAYMOND 

